Read This Before You March: A Syllabus to Contextualize the Women's March on Washington

On Saturday, January 21, hundreds of thousands of women, men, nonbinary folks, and children are expected to join together in Washington, D.C., as well as in a growing number of sister marches around the country.

As students, we like to prepare by doing some reading in advance, and as writers we know the importance of thorough background research. So if you'll be joining us in the District, at an affiliated march, or in spirit, we want to offer you some suggestions. There won't be a quiz, so you can always catch up in the weeks and months to come. We hope these texts can serve as a means to keep the conversation going.

Ground this moment in some history.

No matter what President-elect Trump says, Representative John Lewis was never *just* talk. Check out his National Book Award-winning graphic novel trilogy, March.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parksby Jeanne Theoharis is a must read. When attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions lays claim to some sense of enlightenment when pointing to his commendation of Rosa Parks—"It is fair to say that in the history of this effort, the most dramatic and productive chapter was ignited by the lady we seek to honor"—you'll know the full dimension of her story. Barbara Ransby's biography of civil rights leader Ella Baker, Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement, is a necessary reminder that women have been the central leaders of justice movements, even when their contributions and impact are eclipsed in our public memory by charismatic male leadership.

Read Lynne Olson's Freedom's Daughters and you will know the shoulders you are standing on and the giant footsteps you are marching in this weekend. For the same reason, we recommend you dig into A Dolores Huerta Reader, a collection of the writings and interviews of one of the most influential labor and civil rights advocates of the 20th century.

We challenge you to commit the entire Combahee River Collective Statement to memory, especially since 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of this foundational black feminist gathering. Grounded in these intersectional classics, get into the newest iterations of intersectionality, with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists (obviously we should). And don't miss Alicia Garza's Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement if you want to see how sisters are working to get us all free.

The women's march isn't an academic exercise, it is an act of real politics, and much is at stake. These selections will help you prepare.

Get to know the voting record of your Congressional representatives. Then read Timothy O'Brien's TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald. Trump sued O'Brien in reaction to the book, meaning he may be the only person in the American media who has seen the President-elect's tax returns in the last decade. Pick up Gilbert King's Devil in the Groveto remind yourself of the importance of questioning those in positions of power.

Dorothy Roberts' Killing the Black Body has just been re-released for its 20th anniversary. Read it to understand how much is at stake for reproductive rights. This reporting by the Los Angeles Times and ELLE.com's feature on 20-week abortion bans are chilling reminders of how much has already been lost.

This New Yorkerprofile of New York City Council member Ritchie Torres takes a local look at the devastating potential impact of the Department of Housing and Urban Development disinvesting in public housing. Ari Berman's Give Us the Ballotis a reminder of what is at stake if we don't reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America's Public Schools is a scathing look at who benefits from the story that our schools are broken. (Hint: private interests like those represented by Betsy DeVos, Trump's nominee for secretary of education.)

At last, it is time to let the voices of girls and women speak for themselves. We call this #GirlPower, #BlackGirlMagic, #BrownGirlMagic, #GirlsLikeUs

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh's Muslim Girl: A Coming of Ageundermines stereotypes but, more importantly, gives voice to a smart, funny, and committed young writer. Phoebe Robinson's You Can't Touch My Hair tackles race and gender with humor and politically driven wit. Her suggestions for the first woman president encompass all the ill-fated expectations of the 2016 election.

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